Palmetto Primary Care names Lehrich CEO

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Lehrich

The Executive Committee and Board of Directors at Palmetto Primary Care Physicians (PPCP) have announced Jeff Lehrich, MPP, and MBA as their new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Lehrich was selected from among a pool of top national healthcare executives to succeed Ron Piccione, whom had been with the organization for 13 years and retired in mid-May.Lehrich relocated from Casper, Wyoming to the Lowcountry to lead Palmetto Primary Care Physicians into the ever-changing and challenging healthcare environment with a focus on improved patient services and strategic growth into specialty care as well targeted growth and development of primary care services. Prior to joining, Lehrich served as Interim Senior Executive for Wyoming Medical Center, supporting more than 200 physicians in development of an innovative PHO/ACO structure. He brings more than 28 years of health executive and leadership experience in community hospitals, managed care organizations, physician-hospital organizations and renowned high performing physician led group practices and Integrated Healthcare Delivery Organizations such as OPMG/Kaiser Permanente, Cleveland Clinic and Ochsner Clinic.Mr. Lehrich was instrumental during his time as Chief Administrative Officer and Treasurer for OPMG/Kaiser Permanente in the development of regional strategic plans, hospital strategies and product development. OPMG/Kaiser Permanente is a large multi-specialty medical group and partner for the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan (HMO) located in Cleveland, Ohio and serving nine counties throughout Northern Ohio.“The search committee of PPCP sorted through more than 150 well-qualified applicants with multiple levels of phone, video teleconferencing and in-person interviews to choose Jeff Lehrich. He was the unanimous choice and we feel that he will provide the leadership necessary to enable Palmetto Primary Care Physicians to become the dominant, fully integrated health care network in the Tri-County area,” explains David Castellone, MD, President of Palmetto Primary Care Physicians. Palmetto Primary Care Physicians is uniquely positioned to become the dominant physician led and driven health care delivery system in the Tri-County area, as the healthcare industry moves from the current fee for service economic model to the Fee for Value models contemplated under healthcare reform (Affordable Care Act).Mr. Lehrich received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Public Administration and Economics from John Carroll University in 1981 and went on to attain his Master of Public Policy the next year from Rackham Graduate School at the University of Michigan. In 1985 he graduated from the James Nance Graduate School at Cleveland State University with a Master in Business Administration.Mr. Lehrich and his wife Jeanette will reside in Summerville.Palmetto Primary Care Physicians (PPCP) formed in 1997 and is the largest outpatient physicians group in South Carolina and was one of the first in the country to have a fully integrated Electronic Health Records system.PPCP is a group practice comprised of over 90 clinical providers with a wide range of expertise in primary and specialty care including vein, neurology, gastroenterology and radiology. The company employs over 650 clinical and non-clinical staff throughout South Carolina and provides exceptional medical care for patients through 32 physician’s offices in 7 counties.PPCP is among one of the first practices nationally to establish a successful Patient Centered Medical Home Program and the first in South Carolina. The group is involved with the only accredited Accountable Care Organization in South Carolina. Palmetto Primary Care Physicians provides patient-centered services such as state-of-the-art urgent care clinics and a diagnostic center that is open 365 days a year and a Nurses Triage Line that is available to patients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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